AI-generated photo.
Vietnamese · hanoi, Iconic · Vietnam
Hanoi Beef Pho
Also called Phở Bò
A clear ginger-star anise broth, thin beef, and herbs you add yourself.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
A long restaurant pho is an all-day stock. This is a weeknight reading: low-sodium broth perfumed hard with charred onion, ginger, and star anise, then finished with rare-leaning slices that cook in the bowl. If you want the beef fully cooked, simmer the slices for a minute.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
64
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 26%
- Carbs 63%
- Fat 10%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 25.6 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 1378 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Watch · Kid-friendly
Sodium is high for a child’s plate.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Dry rice noodle228 kcal
- Beef sirloin95 kcal
- Low-sodium beef broth21 kcal
- Yellow onion15 kcal
- Mung bean sprouts9 kcal
- Fresh ginger6 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 43.1. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 390 kcal.
Allergens. Fish
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 390 kcal after the change.
Simmer the beef in the pot for 2 minutes.
Fully cooked beef, which is the right call in pregnancy or whenever rare beef is off the table. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Use less fish sauce.
The broth is already seasoned. Salt at the table is kinder than a salty pot. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 390 kcal | 20% |
| Protein | 25.6 g | 51% |
| Carbohydrate | 61.4 g | 22% |
| Fiber | 3.8 g | 14% |
| Total sugars | 4.4 g | 9% |
| Fat | 4.4 g | 6% |
| Saturated fat | 1.3 g | 7% |
| Cholesterol | 43 mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 1378 mg | 60% |
| Potassium | 547 mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 71 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2.5 mg | 14% |
| Magnesium | 54 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 4.8 mg | 44% |
| Vitamin A | 24 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 16.5 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.6 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 50 mcg | 42% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.2 mg | 16% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 36% |
| Niacin (B3) | 7.7 mg | 48% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.9 mg | 55% |
| Folate · estimate | 50 mcg | 13% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.9 mcg | 36% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Sodium is high, mostly from salt, fish sauce, soy, or cured seasonings.
- Much of the energy comes from a fast starch such as white rice, white flour, or sugar.
- Fish here is a commonly eaten, lower-mercury choice when fully cooked. Follow your own pregnancy fish guidance.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Low-sodium beef broth, low-sodium6 cups1.4 L
Yellow onion, halved1 onion150 g
Fresh ginger, sliced1 piece30 g
Star anise2 stars4 g
Cinnamon stick1 stick4 g
Fish sauce4 tsp18.18 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp2 g
Dry rice noodle8 oz250 g
Beef sirloin, sliced very thin10 oz280 g
Scallion3 scallions30 g
Cilantro0.5 cup15 g
Mung bean sprouts2 cups120 g
Lime, wedges1 lime60 g
Thai chili, sliced2 chilies6 g
Basil0.5 cup10 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Simmer the beef in the pot for 2 minutes.. Fully cooked beef, which is the right call in pregnancy or whenever rare beef is off the table.
- Use less fish sauce.. The broth is already seasoned. Salt at the table is kinder than a salty pot.
Method
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1Char the onion and ginger in a dry pan until blackened in spots.
Char 6 min
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2Simmer them in the broth with star anise and cinnamon.
Simmer 25 min
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3Strain. Season with fish sauce and salt. Keep it hot.
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4Soak or boil the rice noodles until just tender, then divide among bowls.
Noodles 8 min
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5Slice the scallion, cilantro, and basil. Set the bean sprouts, lime wedges, and sliced Thai chili beside the bowls.
Herbs 3 min
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiahanoi-beef-pho-step-5
Hanoi Beef Pho, step 6
Step 6 · Pour 30 sec
6Lay the raw beef on the noodles. Pour the boiling broth over the beef so the slices turn gray at the edges in about 30 seconds. Serve with the scallion, cilantro, basil, sprouts, lime, and chili on the side. If you want the beef fully cooked, simmer the slices in the pot for 2 minutes until gray all the way through.
Pour 30 sec
How you know it is done
Hanoi Beef Pho is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Hanoi Beef Pho looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Hanoi Beef Pho spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Hanoi Beef Pho, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- A big bowl of soup that feels like care on a tired night.
- Herbs and lime let each person finish the bowl to their own taste.
Notes
Pregnancy. Use the fully cooked beef option. The broth is sipped hot. Chili and herbs are optional. This is not a high-mercury fish dish.
Children. A plain bowl with noodles and broth is gentle. Put chili and lime on the adult side of the table.
Low appetite. Leave the bowl plain: noodles, broth, scallion, and well-cooked beef. Skip sprouts if raw vegetables are off your list.
From the kitchen. Freeze the steak for 20 minutes and it will slice thin enough to cook in the broth.
Allergens in the required list: Fish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.